Due to advances in semiconductor manufacturing techniques, processor and sensor designs, and network communications technologies, there are a large number of consumer devices that may require connection to a remote device, e.g., a router, web server, network storage, etc., in order to properly operate or to realize their full operational potential.
Some of these devices, e.g., computers, tablets, and smartphones, may provide a user with a display screen and a keyboard (real or virtual) that allows the user to easily configure the device for connection, e.g., via an 802.11 wireless connection or similar connection, to a remote device. For example, a user using a smartphone may easily connect the smartphone to a wireless network by selecting the relevant wireless network from an on-screen list of available wireless networks and then entering a security credential, e.g., a password, via the keyboard in an on-screen prompt that is displayed when the smartphone attempts to initially connect to the selected network.
Other devices, however, may have a drastically reduced interface, or virtually no interface at all. For example, network-connectable printers may have a one- or two-line display and only one or two buttons. Smart appliances may, for example, have the ability to connect to the Internet to communicate device health status to a central customer support center, to retrieve weather information to allow for more efficient temperature control of a home, or to allow for voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) communications, but may have little or no user interface. In order for such devices to be connected to a remote device via a network connection, a user of such a device must either be comfortable communicating with the device using a remote interface (which requires some degree of technical skill and may be daunting to many users) or must use, if present, whatever user interface is provided—which may be confusing and time-consuming since there may be a limited number of input and output options available on the device.